Optical device, and backlight unit and liquid crystal display including the same

Abstract

An optical device which maintains luminance characteristics to the greatest extent, improves light-collecting effects, and realizes a wide viewing angle, and a backlight unit and an LCD including the same. The optical device includes a light-transmitting base film. A plurality of convex portions is formed on at least one surface of the base film, and microscopic optical patterns have peaks and valleys, which abut each other, on part of the convex portions. Alternatively, a plurality of third fine optical patterns is formed on at least one surface of the base film. A portion of each third fine optical patterns abutting the base film forms a figure having long and short axes. Each of the third fine optical patterns has a peak with a height that decreases from the center to both ends thereof along the long axis.

1 . An optical device comprising:
 a light-transmitting base film;   a plurality of convex portions formed on at least one surface of the base film to diffuse incident light; and   first microscopic optical patterns, wherein each of the first microscopic optical patterns is formed on a corresponding one of the convex portions to condense and emit incident light.   
     
     
         2 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first microscopic optical patterns has peaks and valleys, which are formed on at least part of the convex portion while abutting each other. 
     
     
         3 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second microscopic optical pattern, wherein the second microscopic optical pattern is formed on an opposite surface of the base film to condense and/or diffuse incident light. 
     
     
         4 . The optical device according to  claim 3 , wherein the second microscopic pattern has peaks and valleys, which abut each other. 
     
     
         5 . The optical device according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second microscopic patterns has peaks and valleys, which are arranged to be parallel to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The optical device according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second microscopic patterns has peaks and valleys, which are arranged to intersect each other at predetermined angles. 
     
     
         7 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the convex portions has a diameter ranging from 50 to 100 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the convex portions is a figure that has long and short axes, wherein the long axis has a length ranging from 50 to 100 μm, and the short axis has a length ranging from 1 to 100 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the convex portions has a height ranging from 10 to 40 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the convex portions are spaced from each other at an interval ranging from 50 to 150 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the convex portions have different heights. 
     
     
         12 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first microscopic patterns have a peak height ranging from 5 to 30 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first microscopic patterns have a peak width ranging from 10 to 30 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first microscopic patterns have different peak heights. 
     
     
         15 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first microscopic patterns is formed in a central portion of a corresponding one of the convex portions. 
     
     
         16 . The optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein part of the convex portions, on which the first microscopic patterns are not formed, has a shape that is curved at a predetermine curvature. 
     
     
         17 . A backlight unit including the optical device described in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A liquid crystal display including the backlight unit described in  claim 17 . 
     
     
         19 . An optical device comprising:
 a light-transmitting base film; and   a plurality of third microscopic optical patterns formed on at least one surface of the base film to condense and emit incident light,   wherein each of the third microscopic optical patterns abuts the base film at a portion thereof, which forms a figure that has long and short axes, wherein each of the third microscopic optical patterns has a peak height that decreases from a central portion to both ends along the long axis.   
     
     
         20 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns are formed on one surface of the base film,
 the optical device further comprising:   fourth microscopic optical patterns formed on an opposite surface of the base film to condense and/or diffuse the incident light.   
     
     
         21 . The optical device according to  claim 20 , wherein the fourth microscopic optical patterns have peaks and valleys, which abut each other. 
     
     
         22 . The optical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the third and fourth microscopic optical patterns are arranged such that peaks and valleys thereof intersect at predetermined angles. 
     
     
         23 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns have peaks, which are curved at a predetermined curvature along the long axis of the elliptical figure. 
     
     
         24 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns have peaks, each of which has a central height that ranges from 0.2 to 200 μm. 
     
     
         25 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein, in the figure that forms each of the third microscopic optical patterns, the long axis has a length ranging from 1 to 5000 μm, and the short axis has a length ranging from 1 to 100 μm. 
     
     
         26 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns are spaced apart from each other at an interval ranging from 1 to 5000 μm. 
     
     
         27 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns are arranged in a form of a matrix a matrix. 
     
     
         28 . The optical device according to  claim 19 , wherein the third microscopic optical patterns are arranged in a staggered configuration. 
     
     
         29 . A backlight unit comprising the optical device described in  claim 19 . 
     
     
         30 . A liquid crystal device comprising the backlight unit described in  claim 29 .